Potential Causes Of Neurological Pain In Arms And Legs
If you sometimes wake up with minor tingling in your arms or legs, it’s probably not a serious health concern but rather a sign that you slept in a awkward pose. However, frequent neurological pain in arms and legs is likely a symptom of serious conditions such as herniated disks, thoracic outlet syndrome, stiff joints, lumbar facet syndrome, and sacroiliac joint pain.
Thoracic outlet syndrome, also known as TOS, is actually a group of disorders involving the compression of the internal cavity known as the superior thoracic outlet. These problems affect the nerves that pass from the neck into arms known as the brachial plexus and blood vessels that pass between your upper extremity and chest known as the subclavian artery and subclavian vein.
TOS is either static and caused by enlargement of muscles surrounding the arteries, veins, and the brachial plexus or it may be positional and caused by movement of the shoulder girdle and collarbone.
There are three types of thoracic outlet syndrome. Neurogenic TOS makes up about 95% of all cases and is the result of compression of the brachial plexus. TOS that results from the compression of the subclavian artery is referred to as arterial TOS. Venous TOS is caused by compression of the subclavian vein. Certain athletes, computer users, neck injury victims and some types of musician are the people most likely to suffer from thoracic outlet syndrome.
Treatments include nerve gliding, stretching, ice and heat, and posture. Extreme problems require treatments such as Botox and cortisone. Stiff joints can indicate a variety of serious conditions such as overuse injuries, infections, Ankylosing spondylitis, and both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
A spinal disk herniation or slipped disk is a tear in the fibrous outer ring of one of the disks between the vertebrae. A tear in the disk causes pain by releasing inflammatory chemicals. They are caused by general wear and tear or through traumatic injury from improper movement while lifting heavy objects such as bending and lifting with the back rather than the legs. Damage to a cervical disk affect the neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Lumbar disk problems can affect the buttocks, thighs, feet and toes. Treatments for herniated disks include NSAID pain relievers, physical therapy, cortisone injections and surgery.
Lumbar facet syndrome is caused when the joints that provide stability in the lumbar region of the spine are injured, irritated or begin to degenerate. It can be treated with chiropractic spinal adjustments, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), anesthetics, and endurance training.
The sacroiliac joint is between the large, wedge shaped bone at base of the spine known as the sacrum and upper section of the pelvis known as the ilium. The sacroiliac joint connects the two bones. Pain in this region is caused by inflammation of the sacroiliac joint called sacroiliitis. Symptoms affect the lower back, buttocks or thighs. It is typically found on one side, can become worse while performing activities such as moving from sitting to standing, may be present during intercourse and may be mistaken for sciatica caused by a herniated lumbar disk. Sacroiliac joint pain is typically treated by spinal manipulation or stabilization.
Occasional tingling in the arms or legs is not a serious problem. However, long term pain may be an indicator of a more serious ailment that should be treated as soon as possible. While not life threatening many of these conditions can cause serious degradation to the quality of life.
If you or someone you know is suffering from neurological pain in the arms and/or legs, it would be beneficial to visit the Disc Institute of San Diego’s website in order to gain more knowledge about the condition and alternative treatment options.